


If I Could Choose

by J_D_McCormick



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Bruce Wayne, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Gen, Getting Together, M/M, Omega Dick Grayson, sweet sweet family fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:07:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27581786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_D_McCormick/pseuds/J_D_McCormick
Summary: “Nuh-uh. If we don’t get changed and washed up quickly, we won’t have time for a proper cuddlepile.” Dick says. “Now go get washed up, you smell of scent-blocker and dirty criminal.”Damian rolls his eyes. “Yes, Mother.” He sighs, like a put-upon child, scoffing in amusement before the words he’s said catch up to him and he freezes.Perhaps it would have been simply a lighthearted joke, but Damian’s reaction shows something deeper.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Bruce Wayne
Comments: 9
Kudos: 422
Collections: Dick Grayson Fic Exchange 2020





	If I Could Choose

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OzOh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OzOh/gifts).



It is a night like any other, a night not dissimilar to any other that they’ve had since taking Damian in almost a year ago, if a little later than usual. Bruce and Damian pile out of the Batmobile, and Dick comes hopping along from his motorbike, immediately starting to nudge the two of them towards the showers.

“Come on now.” He fusses, pressing some of Damian’s hair back from his face, tapping at his mask to remind him to remove it. “Go and get changed and washed up.”

“I should write my report first.” Damian protests, even as he obediently peels back the mask. Dick just clicks his tongue.

“Nuh-uh. If we don’t get changed and washed up quickly, we won’t have time for a proper cuddlepile.” He says. Bruce can’t help but smile a little at the word Dick has insisted on using for their nightly pack bonding for years. “Now go get washed up, you smell of scent-blocker and dirty criminal.”

Damian rolls his eyes. “Yes, Mother.” He sighs, like a put-upon child, scoffing in amusement before the words he’s said catch up to him and he freezes.

Bruce feels the air in the cave snap tight with tension; sees it crawling up Damian’s spine into every limb. Perhaps it would have been simply a lighthearted joke, but Damian’s reaction shows something deeper; a truth he’s obviously scared of sharing. He waits, quiet and still, as Dick pauses and looks over Damian thoughtfully for a few moments. Then, he breaks into an easy grin, and reaches out to ruffle Damian’s hair.

“Cheeky pup.” He says, his tone full of fondness. Usually, Damian baulks at being referred to as a pup, bristling and defensive at the mere suggestion that he might, in fact, still be a child. This time, Bruce watches Damian sag as tension leaves him, almost in relief. He allows Dick to ruffle his hair for a moment before batting him away.

“Let me go and take my shower.” He mumbles, butting against Dick’s shoulder gently as he makes his way past. It’s a small affection, a way to rub his scent onto Dick, but it’s not very effective when he still has his blocker patches on.

“Do it properly, or I’ll have to groom you myself.” Dick teases him. “If I catch even a whiff of Gotham on you, I’m going to use all my fancy oils and soaps on you, and that’ll take a while. So don’t forget to wash behind your ears!”

“I get it.” Damian whines, shrugging out of his cape and hanging it up. “If you keep nagging me it’ll take all night too. I’m going.”

Dick chuckles as he watches Damian traipse off to the showers, then turns his attention on Bruce.

“You need to go and wash up too.” He says. “You smell even worse.”

“Mm.” Bruce hums, methodically removing his cowl, the cape, the outer armor of the suit. “You handled that well.”

“Handled what well?” Dick asks offhandedly, carefully peeling off his scent blocker patches and rubbing at the glands they cover until he’s satisfied that his natural scent is no longer hidden.

“Damian. He called you mother. It seems like he meant it.” Bruce murmurs.

“Well, someone needs to be one to him.” Dick mutters, and Bruce doesn’t miss the flash of animosity towards Talia in his eyes. “He hasn’t had a positive Omega influence in his life. He’s barely had a parental relationship in his life either, until now. If he comes to think of me as a mother to him, I’ll be honoured to be that. He’s a sweet pup.”

Bruce feels warm fondness bloom in his chest as he watches Dick go about preparing for his shower. Dick has always been a sweet and caring character, friendly and bright and accepting. He’s been increasingly aware, as Dick has come into himself as an adult Omega, that motherhood will suit Dick well. If he’s honest, he can’t deny a quiet satisfaction that it’s _his_ pup which has woken that instinct, and taken that little place in his heart.

“Now seriously, go shower. I won’t have anyone going to bed smelling like the streets.” Dick tuts a little. Bruce huffs a little in amusement, starting to make his way towards his own shower stall. “Oh, and Bruce?”

“Yes?” He turns, looking over Dick. He’s peeled off his gloves and boots, and is working on the rest of his suit, exposing tan skin.

“Feel free to take an extra long shower. I want a bit of time alone to talk to Damian.” Dick says. Bruce hums, and nods.

“Of course.” He agrees. “Just don’t cuddle too much without me.”

He makes his way to his own shower, Dick’s loud, bright laughter echoing at his back.

* * *

Dick has just finished putting together a quick little nest in the main sitting room when Damian comes padding in, hair ruffled and a little damp from attempts to dry it with a towel. The Omega can’t help chuckling quietly and gesturing the pup down into the pile of soft cushions and blankets he’s set up in front of the fire.

Damian sits, cross-legged and quiet. Dick reaches out to start running his fingers through Damian’s hair, teasing out small tangles, flattening his hair so that it no longer sticks out in all directions.

“Mother never used to do things like this.” Damian says softly. Dick very carefully doesn’t pause in his ministrations – continues with the quiet grooming, keeping silent so that Damian can continue to talk. “I remember her bathing me a few times, when I was very small, and preparing me for bed, but… nothing such as you do here.”

“Not all packs do.” Dick murmurs. “I like to have everyone congregate every evening, because what we do can be dangerous, and it helps everyone to feel better if we all get together and see that everyone is fine. It helps me feel more secure, to know everyone is safe. Getting to scent everyone, know how they’re doing – it’s very important. But some packs only gather once a week, or even more sporadically. And not all gatherings are so informal.”

“I do not know that we ever gathered at all.” Damian shrugs. “As soon as I was old enough I bathed and dressed myself. There was no guarantee I would see Mother of an evening, or a morning… And I saw Grandfather only when I was needed.”

“I’m sorry about that.” Dick strokes Damian’s cheek gently, rubs briefly at the comforting spot behind his jaw where his scent is strongest. It is only recently that Damian has stopped wearing scent blockers every day, letting himself smell like a pup rather than nothing at all. It is a small step, a sign of progress, but that it was a step that needed to be taken still breaks Dick’s heart.

“I hardly knew Mother’s scent. I barely remembered, until I scented you.” Damian’s voice is softer still, a whisper like a confession. “She always wore patches that made her smell of Alpha pheromones. I only saw her without them a handful of times – they are very faint memories. I think I must have been very small.” He lets out a soft, shuddering breath. “But I do not think I ever felt as safe as I do in those memories. Not until I came here.”

“Do you remember her scent now?” Dick asks gently.

“It was soft. Almost floral.” Damian murmurs. “Like standing in a garden. I used to spend a lot of time in the gardens.”

Dick feels his heart break a little at that – the idea of Damian, still small, without the comfort of his mother’s presence, standing in the gardens to find anything close to her scent, not even knowing that’s what he’s seeking. The small, angry, insecure boy Dick had found on returning to the manor makes all the more sense, knowing he hadn’t had that vital tether of security for most of his life.

“But…” Damian continues, eyes cast down and studying a blanket as he worries the edge with his fingers. “I think… I prefer yours. I have noticed, the past months, that it… calms me.”

“Yeah?” Dick smiles. “I’m glad, Damian. I’m glad that you trust me enough to feel safe with me.”

“Would you… I mean…. Is…” Damian fidgets, frowns down at the blanket as he picks at a loose thread. “Is it alright, if I… think of you as a mother? Even though you are not mine?”

“I am yours as much as you want it, Damian.” Dick promises him gently, cupping his cheek and carefully meeting his eyes. “I would be honoured to be your mother. Maybe I didn’t give birth to you, but if you want me to be your mother… That’s alright. You deserve a mother, Damian, one who will love you and protect you and be there for you. And I’ll do all of those things anyway, but if you want to call me Mother? I’d be overjoyed.”

Damian blinks quickly, trying not to show the way his eyes glisten with building tears, hands tightening on the blanket. Dick only smiles, and gently draws the boy to his chest, holding him there where he can receive comfort and quietly regain his composure, safe from watching eyes. If Damian nuzzles against his collarbone, where his scent is strong, he doesn’t mention it.

“I see you started the cuddles without me.” Bruce’s voice says, low and serious despite the fact his lips are quirked into a small grin when Dick looks up at him.

“What can I say? Our pup is very cuddle-able.” Dick jokes lightly. Bruce’s eyebrows twitch up a little at that, but he settles down without mentioning it.

“Let me look at you.” Bruce murmurs, reaching out to Damian, who slowly pulls himself away from Dick and lets Bruce run a careful hand over his hair. “No injuries?”

“No.” Damian says. “I only caught a few glancing blows. They did not even bruise.”

“Good.” Bruce hums, a low rumble in his chest. Dick watches him press his cheek to Damian’s gently, a brief scenting, and sees the way Damian presses into the touch and relaxes. There had been a time when Damian would refuse such gestures, unused to affection, unused to anything but the barest facsimile of normal pack behaviors. A year ago he had come to them prickly and haughty, spitting caste insults at Dick and Tim, hiding his own scent and snarling at any insinuation that he was still a child – and now he melts into the familiar, comforting scent of his father, his own uncovered and letting his contentment be known. Dick’s heart sings to see it.

“And you, Dick?” Bruce asks, turning to him. Dick lets Bruce bestow similar gentle touches, along his jaw and down his left arm, where his shoulder is prone to dislocating.

“A-okay, Bruce.” Dick chuckles. “Gave way more than I got.”

Bruce hums, scenting him in turn. Dick lets himself close his eyes and just take Bruce in – his scent is deep, earthy, and strong, and the undercurrent of his pheromones let Dick know that he’s a fit, healthy Alpha. There has been a quiet tension between them since Dick’s return, something pulling them ever closer, something that makes Dick’s heart soar even as he tries to reign it in and quell his hopes. Still, he can’t quite quiet a low purr from his chest, nudging closer against Bruce, affectionate, making sure that their scents will mix.

“You are embarrassing.” Damian pipes up, and Dick laughs as Bruce pulls away quickly and clears his throat.

“You are a menace.” Bruce rumbles in return, plucking Damian into his lap and wrestling him over playfully.

Dick settles contentedly into the cushions of the nest as he watches Bruce and Damian play, enjoying the smiles on both their faces.

* * *

When Damian falls asleep, Dick insists on taking him to bed, and Bruce relents easily. He watches Dick scoop Damian up and hold him like a much younger pup, tucked to his chest and cradled; he can see the adoration shining through Dick’s expression as he looks down at Damian’s sleeping face. Dick places him in his bed and tucks him in with the utmost gentleness, stroking his hair from his forehead before pressing a gentle kiss there. Something in Bruce’s chest swells and he does his best to ignore it.

“How did your talk with him go?” Bruce asks as Dick pads quietly out of the bedroom. Dick smiles.

“Good.” He says, humming quietly. “You might have to put up with me a while, though. He doesn’t need another long-distance mother.”

“You’ve already been moved back in for a year, Dick, I’m not sure why you think I’d have a problem with you staying longer.” Bruce points out with a slight smile. He doesn’t voice that he’s always wanted Dick to move back to the manor – that he’s missed him, the long years he’s been gone. He’s quiet for a long moment, watching Dick thoughtfully. “I’m glad you’re taking him under your wing.”

Dick laughs quietly, looking up at Bruce. “My wing, huh?”

Bruce rolls his eyes. “You are not unfamiliar with the expression.” He says, then reaches out to rest a hand on Dick’s shoulder, squeezing gently, making sure Dick meets his eyes. “I mean it, Dick. I am grateful for how well you’ve cared for him – how much you’ve helped him. My pup couldn’t have a better mother than you.”

Dick is quiet, just looking at Bruce for a few long moments. Bruce meets his gaze evenly, lets his sincerity show in his expression.

“You mean that?” The Omega asks softly. Bruce hums an affirmative.

“If I could have chosen…”

Bruce averts his eyes, afraid he’s said far too much. What has been hovering between them has stayed unspoken, Bruce thinks for the best; worried that instincts and pheromones are dictating the chemistry between them, an Alpha in his prime and an Omega flourishing in his own.

He pulls his hand back to leave, but Dick reaches out to grab it.

“You could still choose, you know.” Dick says, soft, earnest. His eyes are wide, beautifully blue, looking at Bruce with quiet affection and even quieter hope. His scent is sweet and inviting – Bruce has smelt that particular mix of pheromones before, on various wealthy Omegas as they try to hang themselves off his arms. This is the only time he’s ever thought it might signal something genuine.

Bruce isn’t sure if perhaps Dick sees something in his expression, or if he simply gets tired of waiting for him to react. The Omega reaches up, brushing his jaw before cupping the back of his head and pulling him down into a soft kiss, chaste and gentle. Dick’s lips are warm against his, smooth where Bruce’s are cracked and raw, and the hand against his neck is steadying. He lets himself relax into it, feels that tension between them ebb.

Perhaps he really can still choose.

Dick draws back, just enough to look up at Bruce, eyes searching. Bruce simply brings up a hand to cradle Dick’s jaw affectionately, and the Omega smiles and hums contentedly.

“You know,” Bruce murmurs, gently breaking the quiet, “I already have 4 kids. 5 might be pushing it.”

Dick laughs brightly, grinning up at him. “I don’t know, 5 sounds cozy. Besides, Jason hardly counts as a kid anymore...”

Bruce laughs as well, and thinks that he couldn’t have asked for a better partner if he wanted to.


End file.
